1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a control garment and a method for providing additional control to selected portions of a garment. More particularly, the present invention relates to seamless garments provided with additional control through the use of elastomeric yarn and purpose-specific knitting techniques, and methods for providing such control.
Consumers desire an undergarment that provides control or support in specific areas of the body, such as hips and waist, and is not bulky or unsightly.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Previously known techniques used for adding support to an undergarment include that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,736,036 to Sinigagliesi. This patent provides a seamless undergarment knitted as a single piece of tubular knitted fabric, but containing a strengthening patch.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,425,246 to Knohl provides a knitted brassiere having extra courses of elastic yarn knitted into the breast cups to shape the cups by providing fullness therein.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,906,754 to Sackman provides an undergarment having a plurality of integrally knitted panels. Each panel extends circumferentially around the garment. Certain of the courses of each panel are knitted of elastomeric yarn to impart an elastic character to the area.
A more recent technique for imparting support to selected area of garments is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,479,791 to Osborne. This patent provides a brassiere having a support area between the pair of breast cups in which the courses vary between simple knits, such as plain knit, and welt knit, such as miss-stitch.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,572,888 to Browder, Jr. et al. provides a seamless undergarment knit from a first yarn. A control area is formed by knitting in a second, heavier yarn on designated courses along with the first yarn. A predetermined configuration of plain jersey stitch loops and tuck loops are utilized in the control area to achieve the characteristics of a foundation garment.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,590,548 to Osborne provides a circularly knit legged panty having knit-in shaping panels. The panels are formed by modifying the knit structure in selected areas to form regions having a greater resistance, particularly coursewise resistance, to stretch than the remainder of the tubular body. The patent provides that greater resistance to stretch can be accomplished by using conventional knitting structures, such as floating in an elastic yarn or tucking a yarn in selected alternating courses.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,592,836 to Schuster et al. provides a brassiere having at least two support panels formed by tucking specific stitches for a predetermined number of courses and extending generally walewise, thus, giving greater resistance to coursewise stretch. Preferably, each support panel is described as preferably located on the outside edge of a breast cup and roughly in the form of a "C" partially encircling the breast cup.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,605,060 to Osborne provides a circularly knit body suit in which the middle torso portion is knit with a predetermined cross-stretch that is less than that of the breast supporting section of the garment.
However, a perpetual need exists for improved seamless undergarment provided with control areas shaped specifically to affect certain areas of the body, such as the hips, waist, and even under a woman's breasts. All such control areas need to be formed integrally with the garment so as to appear as an aesthetic, non-bulging feature and, thus, no different than the remainder of the integral garment.